Columbia County Newsmakers
Local cadets excel in soccer
Cadets Matthew C. Martin and Stephen F. Martin of the Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Ga., both completed outstanding soccer seasons for 2002. The sons of Dr. and Mrs. Dan C. Martin, of Martinez, the cadets received special honors for the excellent play. Matthew, a senior, was the third leading scorer in the state with 29 goals and was chosen to be a member of the all-region and all-state teams. Stephen, a junior, was selected to the all-region soccer team. The brothers led Riverside to the most wins and most goals scored in the state, and the team advanced to the semifinal round of the G.I.S.A. state soccer tournament. Stephen was also nominated to Who's Who Among High School Students.
Local students recognized for campus leadership roles
More than 150 Georgia Southern University students were recognized for their roles as campus leaders at the recent second annual Southern Leaders cookout.
Danielle Callan and Erica Lemons, both of Evans, were recognized at the cookout. Callan is a member of Phi Mu social sorority, the Georgia Southern Chorale, Student Professional Association of Georgia Educators, Sigma Pi social fraternity little sister, Choral Directors Assistant and Omicron Delta Kappa. Lemons is a member of Vision Ministry.
Each student received a certificate recognizing them for their outstanding contributions to campus leadership.
Graduates from Air Force Military training
Airman Justin O'Tyson, the son of Jane Hofman and Jack O'Tyson Jr., has graduated from the U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. O'Tyson will be training in aircraft maintenance at Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, Texas.
Project Wisdom winning writers
Evans Middle School is continuing to incorporate character education into their Project Wisdom monthly writing assignments for October. The winning writings were judged more critically this month in the areas of writing style and process.
Lauren Sharpton of Lynn Chapman's class won the sixth grade honors for her topic, Choices: Choosing What's Right. Seventh grade honors went to Kyle Radford in Glenda Atkin's class for Respect: Honoring Those Who Can Teach Us. Persistence and Determination: Tools for Success was the winning essay for the eighth grade by Amry Stanley in Melissa Chesser's class.
The winning pupils were awarded certificates or recognition, Bruster's Ice Cream Shoppe gift certificates and passes to Fort Discovery Science Center.
Alpha Delta Kappa celebrates through charity
In honor of Alpha Delta Kappa Month, which is celebrated in October, the Alpha Epsilon chapter presented a check to the Columbia County Foundation for Children. Alpha Delta Kappa is an international, altruistic organization of outstanding women educators.
Augusta Christian crowns homecoming queen
Crystin Cromer, a senior at Augusta Christian Schools, was named 2002 Homecoming Queen on Nov. 1. She has been a student at Augusta Christian for eight years and is a member of the softball, basketball and track teams.
Augusta Christian students selected for Duke's talent search
Several Augusta Christian students were selected to participate in the Duke University Talent Identification Program. The TIP Talent Search is now beginning its 23rd year and is the largest program of its kind in the nation. The search identifies academically talented seventh graders based on standardized test scores achieved while attending elementary or middle school. Candidates are identified and invited to complete either the SAT I: Reasoning Test or the ACT Assessment college entrance exam. Through the sharing of information, programming, recognition ceremonies and the special attention that is inherent in search identification process, TIP offers supplementation of local efforts to motivate, enrich and academically challenge some of our community's brightest young people.
Augusta Christian students Participate in choral festival
Augusta Christian recently took 25 students to participate in the Northwest Georgia Choral Festival at Shorter College. More than 700 students from 40 schools throughout Georgia participated in the festival. They had a full day of rehearsing with a guest conductor and there were two mass choirs that performed in a concert that evening, one of elementary students and one of high school students.
Local Clubs Help Clean Highway
The Martinez-Evans Rotary and Evans Interact clubs recently joined forces to help beautify Columbia County.
Members from each club, 25 in all, combined to help clean-up a section of highway the Rotary Club adopted Oct. 26, 1998.
The effort was so successful that the clubs have entered the Make a Difference Day awards program sponsored by USA Weekend and Newman's Own, a line of food products owned by actor Paul Newman.
Local students graduate from GSU
A group of area collegiates were recently named Summer 2002 graduates of Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Ga.
Kelli Ann Deal Miller, of Evans, majored in family nurse practitioner and graduated with an MSN. Stanley Aaron Anderson, of Grovetown, obtained an EDS degree in school psychology. Kimberly Ann Cawley, of Harlem, got a BSED degree in social science education. Martinez residents Kenneth Roger Dillard and Vonetta Louise Greene both received degrees in accounting.
Local college grad
Katherine C. Blaine, of Martinez, obtained a degree as a master of education, special education from Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Ga. The university is know for its liberal arts program.
Columbia Countians included in Top 100 freshmen
The Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Ga., recently released their list of the Top 100 entering freshmen for fall 2002 and four locals students were included in the honor.
Ashley and Jennifer Roemer, both of Evans, Jessica West, of Grovetown, and Marcia Cannon, of Martinez, were among the students chosen for the honor.
The Top 100 list is determined on the basis of high school grade point averages and combined SAT and ACT scores.
Brokers License Awarded
Jason William Neal, the son of Aubrey and Kay Neal, recently passed his Series 7 and Series 66 General Securities Representatives exams to receive his brokers license. The Augusta State University graduate is employed by A.G. Edwards Investments.
American Legion holds Kids Helping Kids
The American Legion Auxiliary and Junior Auxiliary of Post 192 sponsored Kids Helping Kids Halloween safety program this past Halloween at the Post pavilion.
The free community event. Kara McGahee, of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, presented a program designed to help children learn how to protect themselves against strangers.
The event also offered a haunted house, fingerprinting for children, bobbing for apples, a costume contest and more.
Homecoming King and Queen
Brittany Williams and Chase Lord, both seniors at Evans High School, were recently named homecoming king and queen at the school.
State rep visits second gradersstandalone
State House representative, Republican Ben Harbin, visited a class at South Columbia Elementary School. He read to the pupils in Mrs. Phelps' second grade class as part of American Education Week.
Martinez native deployed to West Pacific
Navy Petty Officer Third Class Cody N. Rodriguez, son of Manuel A. Rodriguez of Furys Ferry Road, Martinez, was recently deployed to the Western Pacific including Yokosuka, Japan, on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Kitty Hawk.
Rodriguez and his shipmates will perform training exercises with regional allies and provide a U.S. presence there and will be able to respond rapidly in a crisis.
Martinez Elementary students sing in state chorus
Martinez Elementary School sent four fifth-graders to Morrow, Ga., to participate in the 19th annual Statewide Elementary Honor Chorus on Nov. 1-2.
The students, Ryan Goss, Bobby Oellerich, Farris Speering and Callan Thomas, were chosen by their music teacher, Lay Lovingood, to attend the event. The four joined 600 other fourth and fifth grade pupils from more than 100 Georgia schools in rehearsing with two nationally known choral clinicians over the weekend.
The highlight was a performance on Saturday during which the 600 singers and their teachers premiered Gloria Fanfare, written specifically for the SEHC by clinician Sally K. Albrecht.
Local dentist awarded fellowship
Dr. Michael O. Vernon, of Augusta, was awarded fellowship in the American College of Dentists at the group's annual meeting Oct. 18 in New Orleans. The group was founded was founded in 1920 to recognize dentists who have made significant contributions to the advancement of dentistry. Dr. Vernon is a delegate to the American Dental Association, member of the Georgia Dental Association and past president of the Augusta Dental Society, the Eastern District Dental Society and the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry Alumni Association. He is also a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church and the Martinez-Evans Rotary Club, where he is past president.
Dr. Vernon is currently in family dental practice and a clinical instructor at the MCG School of Dentistry Oral Rehabilitation Department.
Martinez native graduates from Tech
Bishakha Bandyopadhyay, daughter of Swapan and Suchita Bandyopadhyay of Martinez, was named to the Dean's List at the Georgia Institute of Technology for the spring and summer semesters. Bandyopadhyay graduated from Georgia Tech in August.
Harlem homecoming queen named
Harlem High School celebrated Homecoming on Sept. 20. Haley Neal was named Homecoming Queen. Nyeshia Williams won first runner-up and Shannah Waters was named second runner-up.
Michael Hawkinberry was crowned Homecoming King with Quincy Calhoun as first runner-up and Kelvin Sturgis as second runner-up.
Hill wins FFA Silver Emblem
Nichulas Hill, of Martinez, was named a Silver Emblem winner in the FFA Turf Grass Placement Proficiency Award at the National Future Farmers of America Convention in Louisville, Ky. He is the son of Jeff and Angela Hill and attended Evans High School where he served as chapter president and an active FFA member.
Hill developed a plan of action for his supervised agricultural experience program that propelled him to be a top national FFA achiever. His work at Augusta Country Club as part of the community's Youth Apprentice Program has helped him learn turf grass principles.
Brownies beautify Martinez Elementary
Brownie Troop 209, from Martinez Elementary School, helped beautify their school Oct. 18 by planting pansies in the school's courtyard.